I know that may sound crazy but think about it. Every loooves to talk about the prominent leaders of the Civil Rights movement and others when it comes to African American history but for some reason no one focuses on where they got their ideas from. I mean think about it! Where did they get there ideas from? Where did they draw the conclusions and come to the realization that they were entitle to certain unalienable rights as human beings. It smells like the Early Americans to me. I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with how the colonist fought for their independence and freedom from King George, well; it just looks like history repeated itself when African Americans began to fight for their freedom years and years later.
To get personal with this, let’s take a journey back through history through the 1770s into the life of a slave named Cassius. (I know this sounds like a magic school bus ride or something but trust me I’m not going to give you homework or a test, soooo relax). Cassius lives under cruel and rigorous conditions but try to make the best of it by working hard. He is a Christian and works as if he is working for God. He prays often for freedom, and even though it seems as if it’s impossible and as if God doesn’t hear his prayers, he has great faith and believes that anything is possible with God.
The story begins:
I was in the field picking cotton when my master came to me. He told me about this war that’s going on. Now, I aint no dummy, it was obvious that there was a war and I had some idea of the nature of this war, but my master kindly decided to let me in on the details. He vented to me about his frustrations with the British and in particular with the King and explained to me that this war was a war for the rights of the colonist.
Being a Christian, I had compassion for him and for the colonists even though I had my own extreme circumstances. However, my focused wasn’t on me but rather on their frustrations and I wondered, as he spoke, if there was anything I could do to help out in any way. Next, the unthinkable words came out of his mouth. As if he could read my thoughts, he offered to set me free if I will join a militia regiment and fight against the British troops. He told me not to respond right away but gave me three days to think on it.
Think on it, I thought excitedly, what was there to think on?! I clearly knew the answer and I was deeply moved by my master’s compassion upon me. It was obvious that this was the answer to my prayers. I went to tell others of the news and bid my closets friends farewell. However, when I went to share my newfound fortune with them, my excitement quickly faded. Instead of gladness for me they ridiculed and begin to put scary ideas in my head that my master was just using me and that I wasn’t really going to be free. I was told that after I fight in the war, I would be shipped back to the plantation.
I began to have conflict within myself. Is it possible that he was lying to me? Maybe, I mean, he had lied to me before (even though it was more like a misunderstanding than a lie). However, my closest friends had never lied to me and have been pretty accurate, for the most part, with their advice. Could it be that they are envious or just looking out for my best interest? I pondered on these thoughts for quite some time until I finally made a decision to walk out on faith and fight in the war.
I understood that in order to be successful, you have to take risks. Why should I expect something different but keep doing my same everyday slave duties. Freedom wasn’t going to just drop in my lap without a price. I realized that it was an honor that my master explained to me in detail what was going on and for him to offer me freedom to fight, while other masters would punish their slaves if they saw them trying to read or even discussing the events that were taking place. I reckon they didn’t want their slaves to get any ideas but here my master was putting ideas in my mind. I concluded that even if my master was lying to me I still will fight because I didn’t like the injustice that was going on.
I fought in the war and the rest is history. I became a free man just like my master promised and so did many other slaves that fought in the war. I believe strongly that the revolutionary war revolutionized not only America but the thinking of black slaves. It laid the blueprint for blacks to follow years later. An understanding of this war gave them the inspiration they needed and put grand ideas in their minds in regards to their rights as individuals and then you had, of course, history repeating itself.
There you have it folks! I think credit needs to be placed where it is due. Yes, in my opinion, the Civil Rights movement was important and necessary, however let's give a round of applaud for the movement that gets overlooked, for the early Americans fighting for their freedom and setting an example for the slaves to follow. Let’s never forget that the early Americans set the tone of justice for this country today (even if has flaws). This is the tone that the black slaves followed and anyone and everyone else will follow if they feel their rights as individuals are being violated.
Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed it.
Remember Saint Thomas Aquinas. He wrote a bit about natural laws... Why not credit him?
Or Hobbes, Locke, or Rousseau?
Every organism's heartbeat holds a universe of beauty at http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/green-underbelly
Thanks dude! Not much of an historian over here. Actually, I'm a math major. Thanks again for responding.
You'd note the discrepancy of your title and note that slaves were freed because of the emancipation, and not the civil rights movement. The CRM dealt with creating equality between blacks and whites, not freeing one from the other. As to where they recieved their ideas for freedom- more from the constitution then the revolution in itsself. Interesting idea though, I've taken both black history and early Am. hist. and neither seemed to go anywhere in, shall we say, your direction? lol.
Green underbelly: yay for social contract theorists!
Kaitlyn.
Thanks, I'll fix the topic. Actually History is my worst subject but this "new perspective" came to me out of no where while I was listening to a "boring" lecture on the American Rev (my teacher is awesome however, he really tries). Thanks again.
They're on my list of dream dinner dates! Which may as well be a swell idea for a future blog. Tag you're it!
Every organism's heartbeat holds a universe of beauty at http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/green-underbelly
A blog of your hypothetical dream date? I think that would be most amusing. If you ever get around to it, I think you should write it as a running dialogue : )
TAG!!! No tag backs:P
Kaitlyn.
I'd give more credit to the Declaration of Independence than the Constitution as a source of inspiration. It is really a very compelling statement in support of freedom and basic natural human rights.
The Preamble to the Constitution is somewhat inspirational but the rest of it just reads like a legal document.
I agree that the Declaration is more inspirational- unless of course you note that the original draft of the Decalartion first made provisions as towards eliminating slavery in the future US, and then ommitted it as being seen as too controversial and not neccestious- which is something I believe to be dehumanising and devalueing. To be purposfully and conciously, ommitted from a document proclaiming freedom, and then left to the confines of slavery- I would not find comfort in such. I think it should be noted that the Constitution serves as a LEGALY BINDING CONTRACT as to the rights and liberties deserved and garunteed for citizens of the US, and was the foundation of freedom upon which our country was built, and is, the "highest law of the land". "Life Liberty and the pursuit of happiness", may be the most famous and inspirational line from the declaration, but in actuality its instituted and upheld by the constitution.
Kaitlyn.
According to Alexander Falconbridge, author of An Account of the Slave Trade on the Coast of Africa (1788):
"As very few of the Negroes can so far brook [tolerate] the loss of their liberty and the hardships they endure, they are ever on the watch to take advantage of the least negligence in their oppressors. Insurrections are frequently the consequence; which are seldom expressed without much bloodshed. Sometimes they are successful and the whole ship's company is cut off."
Ever since the first African was separated from his or her liberty we have been fighting against it in some way, shape, or form. Slaves got the idea that they had inalienable human rights from THEMSELVES! from the natural instinct that tells a person they are a person! The American Revolution is not the first time that those ideas were ever expressed.
As far as what ended chattle slavery in the Americas (because Blacks aren't free) that would technically be attributed to the Abolitionists movement. Which, like Civil Rights, was people using the tools they have to improve their situation. Much like The Civil Rights movement ,progressive people working toward the specific goal of ending slavery, tried many methods until they found one that worked, and by worked I simply mean yielded them the result of getting them closer to actual freedom. The fact that a slave attributes his freedom to mimicking his master, is just a better example of a slave mentality. Rather than seeking freedom, he seeks a similar situation to that of his master. If Blacks could break out of that line of thinking then we would actually be free instead of just licensed. We'd have rights instead of 'rights acts'.(ie Voters Rights Act, Civil Rights Act etc.)
It never ceases to amaze me how America tries to take credit for African-Americans prevailing over the American system. So do you think the Haitian, Jamaican, and African freedom fighters got their ideas from America as well. Or the Israelites in Egypt? Or Ghandi ? I mean the United States has to stop thinking it invented freedom and that it is the only one who can give freedom.
The Africans who were enslaved in North America were not slaves who needed freeing, they were free people who were enslaved. They were born free and the U.S. tried to stand in their way, and ever since they have been struggling to be themselves. We owe nothing to America for that freedom.
In reality America owes it's democracy to the progressive people who fought against it to free themselves. Where did the America government get the idea that slavery was wrong? Where did the American government get the idea that all men are created equal? Where did the American government get the idea that racism is not only sociologically unfair, but morally wrong and sinful?
It didn't get it from the constitution. Otherwise there'd be no need for acts or amendments. You'd simply say "Hey America according to your constitution we should be free, and America would adhere" but instead there was centuries of blood shed, underground railroads, secret codes and meetings, newspapers, letters, imprisonment, death penalties, and war all so that the United States Constitution could be altered or amended to include real equal rights instead of the BS it was doing before.
Love-Health-Awareness-Wealth
Mjh
"Until the basic human rights are equally Guaranteed to all, without regard to race. Until that day the dream of lasting peace, world citizenship, and rule of international morality, will remain in but a fleeting illusion to be pursued, but never attained"
- Bob Marley
I really have nothing to add.
I am so glad you responded. I couldn't believe this guy really thought enslaved people got the idea they should be free from the American Revolution. Very nice response. J
The American Revolution was not about freedom. It has nothing to do with freeing the American colonies from Britain. It was merely about representation. The American colonies were being "tax without representation". The colonies didn't like being tax without someone to represent them so they started a fight. There were a huge number of people that didn't want to separate the colonies away from Britain. Nonetheless, the ending was that we declare independence from Britain. It has nothing to do with freedom. It was merely an issue of representation. The funny part is that after independence from Britain, one of the first thing the newly found nation did was tax their own people. I'm sure that many people know about the whiskey tax.
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-Benjamin Franklin